Buggy-top.



UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

JOHN CALVIN LAMBERT, OF TONIOA, ILLINOIS.

Q BUGGY-TOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,150, dated October 31, 1899.

Application filed April 12 1899. Serial No. 712,732. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN CALVIN LAMBERT, of Tonica, in the county of La Salle and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and Improved Buggy-Top, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to the construction of buggy-tops, and has for its object to provide a device whereby the canopy or top of a buggy may be conveniently and quickly raised and lowered by the occupant of the vehicle without reaching to the outside of the top and whereby the top or canopy may be dropped or lowered by a rearward movement of the body of the occupant of the vehicle while the occupant is in driving position. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the foregoing character that will comprise but few parts and which can be economically and conveniently applied to any folding top for a-vehicle, and, furthermore, to so construct and locate the attachment that it will not only tend to strengthen the structure of the buggy-top, but will also serve to keep the back curtain in proper position.

.The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Referenceis to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a buggy-top having the improvement applied thereto, the top being shown in standing position in positive lines and in folded position in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the buggy-top and the attachment theretog'and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the attachment removed from the buggy-top,parts of said attachment being broken away and other parts in section.

A represents the body of a vehicle, B the seat, and O the bows connected with the seat and adapted to support thecanopy B.

D represents the main or side braces of a folding carriage-top, and E the top folding braces usually employed to effect a break or fold at the front portion of the canopy. The main or side brace D consists, as usual, of two members 10 and 11, the lower member 11 be-' ing pivoted by a pin 13 to the seat and the upper member 10 being pivoted to the canopy by a pin 12, and both members 10 and 11 of the main or side brace D are connected by the usual middle rule-joint l4. Straps 15 are secured to the back of the canopy B and to the back of the seat B, as shown particularly in Fig. 2, and these straps are located one near each side of the top. Each strap is provided between its ends with a bearing 16, and the said bearings 16 receive the end portions of a rod F, that constitutes the body portion of the attachment for raising and lowering the top.

The body-rod F of the attachment is pro vided at each end with an arm f, and these arms extend forwardly at a right angle to the body portion of the attachment, one at each side of the said body, and each arm f is made, preferably, in two sections 17 and 18, connected by a turnbuckle 19, so that the attachment may be accommodated to buggy-tops of different sizes. The outer members 18 of the side arms f of the attachment are pivoted to the main or side braces D by the same pivotpins employed to form the middle joints 14 of said braces, as is particularly shown in Fig. 1. Each back strap 15 is preferably provided with a loop 20 upon its inner face. The bodyrod F may be made in two sections connected by a turnbuckle, if desired, to facilitate the adjustment of the body-rod F to different tops.

In operation, if it be desired to drop the top, it is simply necessary for the occupant of the carriage to incline rearwardly a sulficient distance to force the bar F outward, and in so doing a break will be made at the middle joints of the side or main braces and the top will drop downward and rearward to the dotted position shown in Fig. 1. Thus it will be observed that this drop motion of the top can be readily brought about even when the horse is unruly and that the necessity of the operator or driver of the vehicle passing a hand to the outside to effect a break in the main braces, as is customary, is obviated. Furthermore, when it is desirable to raise the top it is simply necessary to grasp the loops 20 and draw the top to its upper or normal position.

The device is exceedingly simple, it is durable and economic, and it may be inexpensively applied to any folding carriage-top. The device also adds to the strength of the structure of the top, and it is also evident that the device will serve to keep the back curtain in proper position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with the main or side braces of a folding carriage-top, of a bar arranged to secure the said top at its back portion, said bar being provided with side arms pivotally connected with the middle joints of the side or main braces, as described.

2. In a folding vehicle-top, side braces, a bar having arms pivotally attached to the jointed port-ions of said main or side braces, the body of the bar extending at the rear of the top to which said main or side braces appertain, and guides for the body portion of said bar, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the main or side braces of a folding carriage-top, of a device adapted to be operated from the inside of the carriage-top and to effect the folding or closing of said top, the said device consisting of a body-bar arranged to extend across the rear portion of the vehicle-top, and side arms constructed in adjustable sections, the side arms being pivotally connected with the joints of the main or side braces, as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, with a folding vehicletop, comprising a canopy, pivoted bows, a seat to which the said bows are pivotally attached, main or side braces pivotally attached to the canopy and to the seat, and vertical back straps attached to the rear of the canopy and rear of the seat, said back straps being provided with bearings, of a bar passed through the bearings on the said back straps, forwardly-extending arms forming continuations of the ends of said bars, said arms having pivotal engagement with the main or side braces at their middle joints, and loops connected with the inside portions of the back straps, all being arranged, for the purpose set forth.

JOHN CALVIN LAMBERT. Witnesses J. E. .HARTENBOWER, GEO. D. HILTABRAND. 

